After the heady heights of Dr Hook and the Medicine Band, Dennis Locorriere admits that leaving the music business was a spiritual affair.

"Straight after Dr Hook I moved to Nashville, USA, not to get back into the music business but just to be in and around it," said Locorriere.

"My son came to live with me so I did a couple of years of being a dad, which was long overdue after touring with Hook.

"I also wanted to know who I was at that moment. I was 19 when I was doing Dr Hook and I was doing that for 15 years. Everything else in my life went on hold so having that time to myself was what I needed."

Despite taking a backseat from live performing, Dennis admits he was never too far away from the music industry and performing in general.

"I concentrated on writing songs and I did a bit of acting in New York. I did not want to be on the road. But I knew that when it was time for me to go back on the road, I would know."

However, the Dr Hook frontman/bass player admits life will never be the same after leaving the group that shot to fame with global hits such as When You're in Love With A Beautiful Woman and Love You A Little Bit More.

"After being with the band for so long, you don't have time to think about your life, you just have to keep on working," he said.

"Yes I have walked away with an illustrious career but when you come back and do something else, it is easy to think this is inferior to what I have done. It is not going to be as special as it was."

Dennis looks back at his recording career with much fondness but says during the height of Dr Hook's fame, revelling in it was not at the forefront of his mind.

"It is really fun being on the road," he admitted.

"You don't think about how famous or successful you are, you just do it.

"You have a successful record so you buy a bigger house and then you think to yourself, we had better have a bigger hit so I can keep that house."

Despite his admiration of the band that brought him global recognition, Dennis has ruled out a Dr Hook comeback.

"We were together for 10-15 years, but we have been apart for 30 years and to put it back together again would be excruciating," he said.

"The only people that have not talked about a Dr Hook reunion are the band members."

But Dennis, who now lives in West Sussex, admits he will be eternally grateful for his life in the music business, which he hopes will be as strong as ever when he arrives at the Fairfield Halls to perform some of Dr Hook's greatest hits.

"I'm lucky to have had a creative life," he added. "I could have had a job I hated so I am very grateful."

  • Dennis Locorriere Celebrates Dr Hook Hits and History; Wednesday, April 4; 8pm; Fairfield Halls; 020 8688 9291; fairfield.co.uk.